The Chase List: Expanded

Chase soccer balls.

Chase whatever sport you enjoy the most. Practice the skills, gain the strength, obtain the right mindset, be a lifelong student of your game. Depending on how far you take it, you will have to make sacrifices for it. No matter what, continue growing and loving the process.

Chase purpose.

Why do you play? Why do you invest so much time and energy into practices, games, and spending your weekends at tournaments? If your answer is just for a scholarship, keep asking why. My why, my purpose, is to give female youth athletes the tools I wish I had to excel on and off the field.

Chase strength.

This one inspired the entire blog post. I realized I was chasing strength. I’m not a competitive athlete right now, so I can chase strength and not have it compromise my athletic abilities on the field. I can set a goal for myself to squat a certain number of pounds.

What I can’t do is compare that number or my progress to anyone else. Some players are built faster than others; it’s a muscle fiber thing. Some players are built stronger than others, some more agile, some bigger, some smaller. Training can help bridge the gaps and help you improve on you. However, you will naturally be better than others at certain things, and others will naturally be better than you at certain things.

Chase competition.   

Pete Carroll, super successful, awesome football coach and current head coach of the Seattle Seahawks came up with the coaching philosophy of, “always compete.”

He does not mean that winning is everything. His philosophy is about learning from opponents and using competition as a way to always continue getting better. He means to compete with yourself. Always strive for growth. Always improve yourself. Always get better.

Chase dreams.

You actually can do anything you set your mind to. The secret? You have to believe.

Let’s pause real quick and play truth or dare, I’ll go first.

Truth:

I still have anxiety and I still have thoughts that I’m not good enough.

But they are just thoughts. Thoughts can make or break you.

Once I started to take action against those thoughts, despite those thoughts, the louder my confidence became and the quieter my anxiety and not good enough thoughts became.

Your turn. Dare:

I dare you to start believing in yourself. I dare you to believe that your dreams are possible.

Unpause. Time to expand on the things in the not to chase column.

Do not chase people.

If he does not respect what’s important to you, let him go.

If she breaks you down more than she builds you up, let her go.

If anyone holds you back from chasing your soccer balls, your purpose, and your dreams, let them go.

This applies to all relationships, even friendships. They are not worth it, but you are, which works out because the only person you should chase is you.

Do not chase negative vibes.

Check the vibes around you. It has been said that you are a reflection of the 5 people you hang out with most. Choose wisely.

Do not chase validation.

This one takes time. Once you are comfortable in your own skin, and start to gain confidence, you will also develop the ability to check what feels right for you. Admittedly, sometimes I still go to Kya for validation. We’re all a work in progress.

Do not chase numbers.

Instead, chase competition and chase the process. Numbers are quantitative data, and data is great. But what numbers do not measure are confidence, growth, and other qualities gained from the process. When I was chasing strength, I was chasing numbers. I started viewing the number I wanted to move on the barbell as a main source of confidence. Physical strength can add to confidence, but confidence should not be based solely on my physical strength. Working hard, being kind, and demonstrating integrity not only inside the gym, but also outside the gym, are all things that add to confidence.

Chase sport. Chase purpose. Chase competition. Chase dreams.

If you are located in Central New Jersey, interested in chasing the right things, and ready to train better, please email me at alana.asch@gmail.com.

If you do not believe in Central New Jersey, but still interested in chasing the right things and training better, please email me and ask about my remote options.